Words From Afar
by kitzabitza
Summary: Confused, growing crazy and unsure of his own feelings without Shion around, Nezumi becomes cold and alone a month after the No.6 disaster. Shion's life is slowly regaining normalcy with his mother, but it feels somehow incomplete. Will they ever meet again, or will there only be stray letters, words from afar? Collab, continues in The New Number (more installments soon)
1. The Pain That Stayed Behind

_****_**Disclaimer: **I definitely _don't _own No.6! I wish, haha.

**Chapter Summary: **Nezumi can't handle the silence that's killing him, but yet he can't bring himself to break it. Is there any way for this lingering pain to go away?

* * *

Nezumi threw _Macbeth_ to the floor, the hard cover smacking loudly on the concrete. He cursed quietly, throwing himself onto his bed in frustration. The springs protested loudly. A mouse scampered across the floor, squeaking quietly as Nezumi pressed his hands against his eyes, blocking out his vision of the room he now despised.

He couldn't get that damned Shion out of his head.

It had been just less than a month since they had parted ways. The wall around No.6 was gone, the 'perfect' utopia and the third-world city surrounding it finally melding together and accepting each other for who they were. Fear of each other was gone. But Nezumi still despised the advanced city with every fibre of his being.

The emotional scars it had left on his soul were far too deep to fade now.

Even so, the boy he had spent so long with was there, and he longed to see him. He could still hear his voice. See his gentle smile. The long, pink, snakelike mark that tainted his skin. The snowy white hair. The feel of his lips…

Nezumi cursed again, punching his pillow in frustration. He gritted his teeth. It was all over now. This was the way things were meant to go. They were destined to go their separate ways. And there was no way he actually had _feelings_ for the airheaded teen. He ignored the nervous flutter of his heartbeat as the memory of their kiss goodbye popped into his head. That bittersweet, painful touch of their lips pressing together. A lump rose in his throat.

It had been weeks and weeks of denial for his want, no, _need_ to see Shion. Pain resided in his chest that refused to go away.

"Nezumi! Nezumi, are you okay?"

The grey-haired man sat bolt upright at the cheerful call of Shion's voice. "Shion? Shion, I'm here!" The only reply was the gentle call of his echoing voice through his room. The empty sofa, the cooking pot Shion used to use, _everything _in the room seemed to taunt him. The emptiness of the place was almost oppressing, looming over Nezumi and suffocating his lonely soul.

A warm hand closed over his bare shoulder, surprising him. He sprung to his feet, suddenly tense and prepared.

Shion gripped him gently, smiling at him with his kind, deep red eyes. "It's okay, Nezumi." He stroked Nezumi's skin comfortingly, as a mother would stroke a distressed child. Nezumi's heart thumped heavily, feeling tears prick at the corners of his eyes.

"Shion…" He reached for the boy, but his fingers met nothing but cool air. He blinked, and the image faded, the comforting heat seeping away, replaced by a bitter chill. He staggered back from where he had thought Shion had stood, staring in disbelief at the empty space. The boy's smile still burned behind his eyelids.

Nezumi backed up again a bookshelf, the heavy wood pressing uncomfortably against his bare back. His twitching fingers gripped the books' spines, the spines of books that had seen many years and many experiences, including the time with Shion he now so treasured. They seemed to scold his fingertips, burning him with the memories that haunted him. He laughed a bitter laugh; a laugh of pain and insanity, a laugh that harboured no joy or humour, but only spiteful suffering. As the last cackle of sorrow rose from his throat, his legs became limp and he fell to a pathetic pile on the floor.

"Shion," he whispered to himself, a grim smile teasing his lips. "I'm going insane because of you. You're far more trouble than you're worth. Why can't I get you out of my head? I wonder if you feel the same as I do."

Shion's voice resonated in Nezumi's head. _"I'm glad to have known you."_

"Yeah, Shion. Me too."

Nezumi punched the floor, cracking his knuckles. A growl of frustration rippled in his throat.

"You're turning me soft!" He shouted, cry thrumming in the walls. "Are you trying to change me?"

Silence was all that answered him. He didn't know what to feel. Angry? Hurt? Frustrated? Lost?

One of the robot mice scuttled up his leg where he sat, perching attentively on his knee. Its brown fur brushed his skin. The ghost of Shion's figure before him danced across his eyelids.

"_Come on Hamlet, Cravat, Moonlit Night. We need to go wash the dogs!" _ The white-haired boy smiled, gently touching Cravat's tiny, brown head, the rat nuzzling him gently. Nezumi let out a sigh as the memory washed away, Shion's kind laugh echoing into silence. The same rat sat Shion had cared for - named, constantly lovingly held, given undying affection - gazed at Nezumi with its tiny camera eyes, nose twitching attentively. He stared back, and something came to mind.

He stood, carefully cradling the rat in his palms, and took a scrap of paper from the table. He scratched a short message onto it with the pen that constantly lingered next to the paper, waiting for inspired words to flow from its ink, and carefully folded the strip. He held it tenderly, not wanting it to be damaged in the slightest. At that very moment, it was the most precious thing in the world.

He gave it to Cravat, the robotic rat also taking care with the small letter. Nezumi, a bitter smirk touching the edges of his lips, crouched to the floor and lowered it to the cold concrete. Macbeth quickly scampered away, obviously aware of his mission.

Nezumi pressed a hand to his hot forehead, closing his eyes. "You'd better feel pretty damned special, Shion," he muttered lowly, voice barely louder than a whisper. "I don't normally go to this much trouble for little airheads like you."

The stray words fluttered back into his mind, and the letter he had just sent burned on his heart.

_-It's been too long. Such a shame I can't see you.-_

* * *

_Alright, my lovelies! Again, another depressing fic... This is going to be a collab with my good friend Yukia Tsunade (her username, not her real name of course ^_^). _

_You can be expecting probably 2 sequels to this! It's going to end up being a trilogy!_

_As soon as I said to her 'Hey, should we do a collab?' we spent probably 20 minutes spewing out ideas, and suddenly we had this huge, amazing story set after the No.6 story. So incredibly excited about writing it all. This story is going to bug me until I get it all finished and posted!_

_I'm not going to say anything about what we have to come, or I'll ruin it!_

_Review, please! Tell me what you think about my work so far. _

_Next chapter soon!_


	2. Faded Memories

**Disclaimer-**I don't own No.6, but soon I shall…. After taking over the world!

**Chapter Summary-** Shion missed Nezumi but he knew he could wait for that fated day when they would speak again, who knew that day would arrive so soon?

Kitzabitza -_"you don't need those Yuki" _(Disclaimer, Warning and Ch summary)

Yuki- **"but I neeeed them, they feed my safety conscious mind! And if I don't feed it, it will take me over and I'll become a m'n'm!" **

Kitzabitza- *_Sigh* okay Yuki whatever you say….."_

* * *

The sun poured through the gap in the curtains landing softly on the white hair that adorned Shion's peaceful face, the boy rolled over in an attempt to escape the coming of day but ended up tangling himself in the blanket and toppling over the bed. Waking up a memory flashed in his head of the days when he was with Nezumi. _"Urg, I can't sleep in my own bed anymore, you move too much Shion." Nezumi grumbled as he softly kicked Shion's leg that had been draped over his face. Shion laughed and stood, stretching out his stiff muscles, he gave Nezumi one last giggle and poked out his tongue before running through the door so that he wouldn't get attacked. _

Smiling Shion untangled himself from the blanket. That had been happening a lot lately, those flashes of memories. He missed Nezumi and the way the bluenette had acted, sighing softly Shion stood, placed his blanket on the bed and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

His heart ached when he remembered Nezumi, after all this time away from him Shion had caved into his feelings that he knew were there from the start and often mentally referred to the other as his true love. Nezumi had left him, his hatred for No.6 too strong to return with Shion. That last parting kiss was the main thing that kept Shion going, hoping and praying that they would meet again soon. He knew that he would have to wait for his wish to come true, but that didn't bother him, after all he had decided to start anew and one day he would look for Nezumi, when he had a stable life and could devote all his heart the other man. But until that day, Shion would wait, for as long as he could, he would wait.

Shion smiled and waved to his mother as he walked out of their little shop. Today he was going to visit the 'fallen wall' site and volunteer for some time. They were recycling the scraps of the walls to make new houses for the non-numbers so that everyone could live in harmony together. No.6 was becoming a peaceful place Shion thought as he looked up to the bright blue sky, somewhere in the recess of his mind he registered the fact that the other numbers would probably come to see what was going on soon, but he brushed it off and kept walking.

Humming to himself for the rest of the walk he amused his mind by naming the people he passed, the little game kept his mind occupied until he finally approached the 'lend a hand' sign situated out the front of the office that you registered yourself in every time you came to help out.

"Morning Elana, how are you?" Shion asked pleasantly to the blonde lady at the front desk, she smiled back and her brown eyes shined.

"I'm great, Roy proposed to me last night." She squealed the last part, making Shion wince slightly. Smiling happily he signed the form and replied.

"That's wonderful, I hope you'll have a wonderful day. I'll see you later." He said the last part while heading out the door and walking towards the lighter lifting site. Shion wasn't weak but he wasn't overly strong. He looked around again, his imaginative mind making his surroundings take the form of the little town that used to be outside the wall as he saw the many familiar faces.

His small smile turned to a grimace, _how long do I have to wait_ he thought in a moment of weakness his eyes blurring slightly as one of the men he'd seen at Nezumi's performance walked by waving at him casually.

One of **Nezumi's** performances.

**Nezumi's** performance.

**Nezumi**! Shion cracked, it had been months, months! He couldn't hold his composure anymore!

"Oi Shion you alright?" A worker near him asked. _Allen,_ his mind supplied.

"Haha yeah, I'm fine I just flicked something into my eye, I'm gonna go wash it out." He said turning and walking towards the park where he used to work. _Why now?_ He thought, breaking into a sprint as he felt cold tears trail down his face. He ran for a large tree and hid under its emerald leaves and in the comforting shade. Sitting down, he brought his knees up to his chest and rested his head on them.

I love you! I miss you! Please let something happen to let me know you're out there, that I'll see you again soon! He thought tears now pouring freely from his ruby red eyes. He stayed like that for another few minutes before he felt the all too familiar texture of a tinny mouse nose rubbing his ear.

"Hey" He sniffed. "Hamlet, don't worry I'm fine." He said quickly wiping his eyes on his sleeve and looking up to see the white mouse. Wait… A brown mouse…? "CRAVAT!" He shouted in surprise. Picking the mouse up from his knee and rubbing its head affectionately, he noticed a little white scroll in its mouth. Smiling brightly he quickly- but gently –pulled the scroll out of the mouse's mouth, opening the letter with shaky hands, he read.

_-It's been too long. Such a shame I can't see you.-_

Laughing at the bluntness of the other man's words Shion easily forgot his dejected state of mind he's been in earlier. Wiping his eyes again he reached into his pocket and grabbed out his pen he always carried. Flipping the sheet over, he wrote a short reply on the back.

Sighing at how lame the words sounded when he re-read it. He grumbled about how pens should be able to be rubbed out, but rolled it up and placed it back into Cravat's mouth.

"Take this back to Nezumi for me, okay?" He asked, scratching the mouse between the ears again, and he squeaked and scampered away. Shion watched him until he couldn't see him anymore and stood up. Feeling much lighter than he had in a long time he headed back to the site and finished the rest of the day, grinning the whole time. He would see Nezumi again, hopefully soon, he just had to try to stay light and happy and he could handle. With a new resolve he could wait an eternity to see Nezumi again, so long as he heard from him every-now-an-again.

* * *

Sooo how are we doing readers? Review ne? Haha its funny I've been writing (or trying to write) eight different fanfics at once (including this one) And kitzabitza has been bugging me to get this chapter done and I'm all, I'm trying but my mind is on other fanfics and she was all. Come oooonnnnnn. So I have done my job and for now I bid you ado, until next time, ado, ado a thousand times ado XD

P.S Review ne? *sparkly eyes crossed with puppy eyes*


	3. Lost Hope

**Disclaimer:** I do not own No.6!

**Chapter Summary: **"Heh. Trust the stupid airhead to not respond. I doubt he even got the letter. It was all wasted effort on my part. Why do I even bother?" A noise pierced the overpowering roar of the rain. _Squeak!_

_Yuki talked me into doing these…  
I normally don't write chapter summaries, disclaimers, etc… I'm really not into them myself.  
Damn you Yuki.  
I cave it too easily when you ask me to do stuff...  
Maybe that's just 'cause I love you babe, no homo! 3 Iprobablywon'tdothisonanythingelsethough :P  
Please enjoy!_

* * *

Cold water dripped onto Nezumi's nose, making him flinch, and he sat bolt upright. His head swam, throbbing from long and sleepless nights. The cold from the floor still tingled deep in his bones. Every muscle ached. His eyes felt heavy, watering profusely. Or were they tears?

Tears of anguish? Frustration? Nezumi didn't even know anymore. He could barely remember who he was anymore, let alone how he felt about…

What was he so torn over?

White hair. Deep red eyes.

Shion

_Shion._

Sense suddenly returning with a snap, Nezumi grabbed the sleeping Moonlit Night who lay curled up in a tiny black ball beside him, quickly placing him on the table and pressing the hidden button that was covered by his fur. Protesting loudly at being disturbed but complying, he projected an image on the far wall from his eyes.

Numbers and letters flashed on the screen, finally showing the message:

-RMOUSE2-  
ERROR, OUT OF RANGE: LOCATION UNAVAILABLE.

He gritted his teeth, rubbing at his heavy, stinging eyes. Dark dots blotted his vision. _How much sleep did I get…?_

Nezumi had been constantly checking on Cravat after he'd sent him. It didn't feel right, sending such a sappy message to the boy who had haunted his thoughts for weeks to get him out of his head, but he couldn't take the action back now. No matter how many times he told himself he shouldn't bother thinking about it, not get so torn over a scrap piece of paper, but he'd ended up using the tracking device he normally spared for emergencies to find out if his precious letter had found its destination.

According to the tracker, Cravat had arrived in No.6 only an hour after Nezumi had sent him off, but since arriving there the signal had cut off and not returned. It had been a week since the incident. Like he expected the data to suddenly return, Nezumi stayed up countless hours every night, checking the tracker every few minutes.

He wished he hadn't been acting so pathetic.

His heart was blackened with lost hope.

Despite his looming weariness, a coercing presence weighing down his shoulders, a dry snigger sounded in his chest.

"Heh. Trust the stupid airhead to not respond. I doubt he even got the letter. It was all wasted effort on my part. Why do I even bother?"

Somehow, these words of harsh humour saddened him. Tears threatened to show, and he laughed them away.

"That's right," he whispered, struggling to form the words that caused such agony on his tongue. "Why should I bother?"

Biting his lip, he flicked Moonlit Night's furry, black body, and the flickering projection on the wall faded away. Not wanting to stay in the room that had harboured his feelings of nothing but false hope for the last dragging seven days, he grabbed his shabby coat and stepped outside. The door swung closed and locked with a familiar click.

More water trickled from the cracks in the ceiling, leaving puddles as wet doormats by the peeling doors of other tiny apartments. No sounds came from the rooms, the only noise Nezumi's slow and deliberate breathing and the constant _drip, drip, drip _of water hitting the cold concrete floor.

Nezumi trailed his fingertips along the coarse bricks and cracking paint, the rough wood catching slightly on his skin. As he moved closer to the stairs leading to the bleak and impure world beyond, the drumming of tiny water soldiers became increasingly more rapid and noisy. The grey-haired male stepped out into the torrent of water, feeling the rain drum powerfully against his skin.

The cold and icy water, the tiny projectiles hitting his cheeks as he turned his face toward the sky, ran down his neck and into his shirt. Within seconds the flow soaked him to the bone. Every inch of his skin glistened with pure, fresh rainwater. Seemingly of their own accord, his feet took him further into the shower. The cool liquid made him shiver a little, but Nezumi didn't mind. In fact – although it was a little masochistic – he _loved _the feeling. It made him feel alive. It reminded him of pain, agony, bitter emptiness that envelopes you when you have lost the will to live, but it also reminded him of hope, a shining chance at redemption that shone through the bleak void marking a miserable future that was destined to be his.

Shion.

The night that boy and his open window had saved him had been a rain-blessed one like this.

He could almost feel the burning agony in his arm where the bulled had pierced his flesh. Stinging tears pricked his eyes at the sensation.

He stood there for uncounted moments, arms spread, and rain soaking and weighing down his heavy clothes. His eyes remained closed as he savoured the sensation of the drumming water. For reasons he could not comprehend, warm tears slipped under his sealed eyelids and mixed with the rain trickling down his face. He barely noticed them fall. They weren't joyous tears, nor melancholy.

They were just tears.

A wave of exhaustion washed over him and he fell to his knees. Mud splattered up his legs, soiling his already completely drenched cargo pants. He caught himself before he fell face-first to the ground, but his arms quivered beneath his weight. Stones dug into his freezing, soaked palms. Nezumi felt light-headed and confused, as though waking from a long and mysterious dream. His wet grey bangs stuck to his forehead. Heavy eyelids threatened to close, his vision blurring each time he blinked. When he closed his eyes for too long, it stung but felt strangely pleasant.

"I'm tired…" he muttered quietly to himself. "Why am I so sleepy…?"

He remembered his long, disturbed nights keeping watch for a return message. In his hazy state, he had almost forgotten his short but emotion filled letter. He slowly got back to his feet, weary fatigue weighty on his limbs. His feet suddenly felt as though they were enclosed in shoes of solid lead. Nezumi began dragging himself through the quickly filling puddles scattered across the muddy ground, shoes sloshing in the water.

The grey-haired man struggled to keep his eyes open. Ever constant, the drumming of the rain filled his thoughts and his ears. A tiny noise pierced the over-powering roar.

_Squeak. **Squeak. Squeeeaaak. **_

Nezumi stopped, blinking away raindrops that fell into his eyes. He listened carefully for the noise, verifying it _was _real and not just a figment of his drowsy imagination.

_Squeak… **SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK!**_

It was real. That noise was so familiar, unforgettable. There was no way his head was playing tricks on him.

That was the squeal of one of his robot mice.

Nezumi spun around in the direction of the distressed peeps, trying to ignore the lethargy in his limbs. He could see hunched figures crouched in corners, those without the gold to spare for a room from the cold creating what shelter they could from an old box or an outstretched ledge, their only heater the warm of another's flesh. The soft weeping of an infant hummed beneath the howl of the torrential downpour. The looming, cracked buildings seemed even wearier and more unsound in the blackness of the night. Piles of rubble and lumber leaned against every possible surface and littered the muddy, usually dusty streets.

_Squeeaak!_

Fur that remained sleek, refined and tidy even when covered in grime stuck out from a pile of discarded timber scraps, twitching violently every time water struck it. The wet brown tufts clumped together, sticking up at odd angles.

"Cravat!"

Nezumi hurried to his little adventurer's side, carefully pulling him from the mess. The robotic mouse convulsed in his hands, obviously malfunctioning. There was a dent on the side of its delicate head, and a deep tear on its back. The circuitry and precise details Nezumi had incorporated to protect it had been exposed and therefore damaged, almost enough to destroy the tiny, lifelike machine he had put so much care into. He clutched the android to his chest, shielding its internal structure from the harmful water. Something crisp brushed his finger, and he gasped.

Spasming violently but still full of unbreakable will power, Cravat clutched a small strip of paper in its mouth with every ounce of energy it still held. Nezumi thought he felt his heart skip a beat.

_No, it didn't. I'm imagining things._

Even still, something swelled in his chest, an unidentifiable emotion that Nezumi wasn't sure if he wanted to look further into. He just let it warm his cold and shivery limbs, tingling gratifyingly in his tired muscles. Two words that could mean so little but right now meant so much spun frantically in his head:

_**Shion replied.**_

Nezumi now held Cravat even more tenderly, shielding not only him now, but the precious words he clutched in his jaws. He turned and sprinted for home, aching to be there.

It felt like eons, but his dash back to a dry familiar room soon ended. He almost kicked open the door, but thought twice about it and opened it carefully. Two soaking rats, he and Cravat left muddy puddles all through the floor, but that didn't matter right now.

He carefully placed the shuddering robot mouse on the table, affectionately stroking Cravat's head before gently removing the amazingly dry scrap of paper from its mouth.

"Cravat… Your persistence will not be in vain," he vowed.

Nezumi unfolded the strip of white paper, and his message which now seemed somewhat embarrassing flashed back at him.

_Did he not even write a response?! Is this some kind of joke? I went through all of this for nothing?!_

Cravat squeaked softly, before something fizzled loudly inside him and he fell limp, red lights in his camera eyes fading to dull black. Even though Nezumi knew his companion, spy and messenger could be repaired, it seemed somewhat sad, like the death of a close friend.

Had Cravat meant something by his tiny proclaimation?

Nezumi turned over the strip in his hand absent-mindedly, fiddling with the paper. He gasped when he saw a message in handwriting different from his own scribbled on the other side.

_-Too long, can we meet again?-_

"…Oh…"

Nezumi clutched the paper tightly in his hand, crumpling it slightly.

"_Oh…_"

His chest tightened, dangerous, potent emotions swirling beneath the surface. Nezumi pushed them back, not wanting the feelings he kept locked deep inside to be exposed. He didn't understand them. He didn't _want _to understand them. And things he didn't understand scared him. No… They didn't scare him. He didn't know how to handle them. These unidentified sensations that lingered in the very heart of his being were to wild and untamed to be brought to light. He had deduced that doing so would be his downfall. They were a part of him that would surely tear him apart.

Nezumi blinked back tears that began to well in his eyes. _No. I'm not crying. My eyes are watering._

Six innocent words from an innocent boy had wormed their way into his unstable heart. Nezumi didn't know how to react. The stray thoughts forming in his head were too chaotic and disordered for him to make any sense of them.

_I want to see Shion. I want to see him so badly. _

_I hate No.6. No matter what happens, what damage it caused me can never be undone. I don't want to go back._

_It's changed! The world is different! _

_Soul-deep scars remain forever. They never heal._

_I need to see Shion! I lo-_

Nezumi crushed the paper, letting it fall to the floor. Cravat remained lifeless on the table, damaged circuitry lying exposed to the cool air. He gritted his teeth.

"I can't believe you, Shion. You're making it so I can't even understand myself anymore."

Nezumi had an impossible mission. Write a letter that summed up his feelings that could not even be summed up in his head. How could these wild emotions possibly be formed into legible words on paper?

He didn't know.

"…That's just it…" he whispered, tearing a piece of paper from the empty notebook that lay beside him. The notebook would normally be filled with detailed prose and flowing poems, but it was as blank as Nezumi's face as he scrawled three words onto the strip with slow and deliberate movements.

_-I don't know.-_

"Moonlit Night." The robot scuttled to his side and carefully took the paper from Nezumi's outstretched hand, then hurried away with it held tightly in its jaws. Nezumi kept his eyes fixed on Cravat's body as he pulled a toolbox out from a box that sat beside his piano, took out the necessary utensils and began to restore his fuzzy companion.

A small smile pulled at his lips as he sealed the faux skin to cover the now repaired circuits.

"Thank you…" he whispered, to nobody in particular. Nezumi didn't really know who or what he was thanking.

"Thank you."

* * *

_Hello again! What did you guys think of this chapter? All the ANGST. T^T Don't worry, it (hopefully) will not be depressing the entire way through this first story, and highly likely to not be sad in the coming-up sequels! More action and drama, probably. Wait, I'll stop now! I'll ruin it all!  
Okay, Yuki. I CHALLENGE YOU. This chapter is a lot longer than our introductory chapters (which weren't really intended to be long anyway…) but I challenge you to write something as long as this for Shion's chapter, without rambling or writing stuff in pointlessly! And I'll be the just of that. :P_

_Reviews please! Even the small amount of support we've received so far is encouraging us to keep going. Your comments mean so much to us both! _

_~kitzabitza_


	4. Two Letters, One Choice

**Disclaimer-**I don't own No.6, but my world domination is close! :3

**Chapter Summary-** Shion receives two important letters, one from Nezumi and one from a No.5 official. He doesn't have the guts to open either one.

Kitzabitza: _Challenge, Yuki! Write as much as I did without rambling. :3 Oh, and readers, no typo. It is a letter from No.5, not No.6. :D_

Yuki- **"Bah! You're a meanie! I always have such difficulties when I try to write longer chapters, anyway. Challenge accepted! :)**

Kitzabitza- _u_

Yuki- ***Rolls eyes and pokes out tongue* "Anyway beloved readers, thanks for following our story for so long, just a bit of a warning in this chapter I do a lot of time jumping, so I hope you can keep up with my pace. XD**

* * *

Shion fell back down onto the bench looking blindly at the darkening streets. Tears poured down his face, blurring his vision. The paper crinkled in his fist. The shelter rattled slightly as a gust of wind blew past and he rubbed furiously at his face. It had been a full week! This was how he responded? Why now? What does he mean? Why?

~Two days Earlier ~

His bright smile slipped from his face as he entered his house, he was happy but worried, I mean receiving a letter from an official from another number does that to people. But all the same he wasn't sure what he should do, he hadn't told his mother, and he wasn't sure if he ever would. Shaking his head he dumped his black bag on the table and unpacked the groceries he'd just brought. The letter complicated things, firstly Shion had been going okay and ignoring the obvious fact that his love hadn't replied for five days. Secondly he had been able to find a family for the baby but he needed time to make sure the family was truly okay, and lastly the letter wasn't just from the base of No.5, oh no it had come from a person 'really high up'. And now he couldn't help looking at all the negative things on his agenda.

Shion sat on his bed and ruffled his hair angrily. He had received the letter that morning but he couldn't bring himself to open it. "Arrhh." He sighed, standing up and picking up the letter. It had the No.5 stamp in the top left corner as well as the stamp that Shion was sure belonged to the 'head' there but he wasn't sure, and I mean what reason would someone that high up want to talk with him for? The envelope held no clues as to what lay inside. All it said was-

_To Shion _

And that explained nothing, as if this letter hadn't been causing enough turmoil within Shion's head, but because Nezumi still hadn't replied, his heart was involved as well. Shion squashed his eyes shut and slammed his fist down on the desktop, scrunching the letter slightly in his other hand. What the hell was he meant to do? Did Nezumi's lack of response mean he was done with Shion? And what about this letter, did they find out about his involvement with Nezumi? Did they want to hurt him? "NO!" He yelled, the same hand slamming into the wall, but he didn't care.

His mother had gone out for the night and his house was otherwise soundproof, so he didn't have to worry about his neighbours. But his head and heart ached, wiping a stray tear that had decided to fall. Shion walked over to his bed and lay down on its silky covers. I_t feels like water ghosting over my skin, _his brain thought in a meek attempt to distract him. The tears started up at full force again and he buried his face in his pillow. Why was he crying so much lately? Why hasn't Nezumi responded? What does No.5 want with him? The questions poured unrelenting into his brain as the tears fell.

"Haha, who, what, when, where, why, how." He sing-songed bitterly, rolling over and looking towards his clock. -01:14am- it read. He was so sick of all this pain but he didn't want to give up on Nezumi. _One more week _he thought, _one more week then I'll stop waiting, hoping for his reply_.

With that last thought Shion's tears seemed to stop, and his eyes closed against his will. That day had been too emotionally exhausting- strike that, his whole week so far had been emotional rollercoaster. Trying to focus on happy things, trying to keep up his resolve to wait patiently no matter how long it took, it was all so hard. Sighing for the last time, Shion fell into a dream haunted by a beautiful, smiling, blue haired man.

~Back to the Present~

The tears wouldn't stop, his heart ached. No. His heart had shattered, all those tiny pieces stabbed his chest. How could three little words hurt so much?

~The day Before~

Something cold ran down his cheek and onto his neck, slowly sliding the back of it. Making Shion shiver, he slowly opened his eyes, reluctant to leave the warmth and happiness his dreams held. Sitting up he started slightly when a drop of ice cold water hit his face, his head snapped to his window and he realised he'd left it open. Outside rain drizzled slowly from the dark grey sky, making everything shine with a dull exuberance.

Standing and stretching, Shion headed to the bathroom and undressed, the shower beckoned to him with promises of more thoughtless moments and a relaxed mind. He smiled slightly as he stepped into the still warming water, it felt so nice. So different to the thoughts coming back to him, he didn't want to think at the moment. He just wanted this, the simple pleasure, the warm water racing down his pale skin, tinging it a slight pink. The soap caressing his stiff joints and the smooth tile under his feet vibrating ever so slightly as the water hit it. Tilting his head back he finally gave in and let those cold and painful thoughts fill his mind.

He couldn't wait much longer to open that letter and depending on its contents, would depend on how he treated his thoughts on Nezumi. If it was about the time he had spent with the bluenette Shion wouldn't give. If it was about the bluenette's whereabouts he didn't have anything to offer. And even if he did he wouldn't tell anyway. Turning off the shower he stepped out and dried himself off quickly, then wrapped the towel around his waist.

Walking into his room he threw on some grey slacks and a loose maroon shirt. Today he was just going to stay home, he couldn't get anything done in this frame of mind and he needed to sort himself out.

He sat at the kitchen bench, well, more accurately, he sat _on_ the bench. While munching thoughtfully on a piece of toast, the tanginess of the butter and jam helped to clear his head, as did the coffee cooling off beside him. Breathing in, Shion started his planning,

1. He could wait for Nezumi's reply before opening the letter, but that could end badly depending on the letters contents.

2. He could open the letter and go from there.

3. He could forget about the letter entirely and continue on as normally as possible and just wait for Nezumi's reply.

4. The sun could show its face, to tell him everything would be okay.

He thought while looking out the window. The rain had picked up its pace and was now pouring down in buckets. They all had their ups and downs, he decided as he hoped off the bench and sipped his coffee. Dragging his feet, Shion walked into his room and pulled out his laptop, sitting at his desk. Shion took a big gulp of his coffee as he typed in his password. Option one would work in some cases, say if the letter was simply something sent to everyone, an apology of sorts. But Shion knew that wasn't true.

Option three was the most tempting offer, but Shion knew better than to ignore such an important letter. So that only left option two, blowing onto his coffee he sat back in his chair and let his eyes slide closed. He couldn't open the letter, not yet. Not today. So he would open it tomorrow, and maybe go on a walk to calm his nerves a bit beforehand.

"Yes, that will have to be what happens." He told himself, sitting back up he sat his cup on the desk and opened the internet, he had some research to do.

~Back to the Present~

The rain splattered on the pavement just outside the shelter, the tears fell from his cheeks and onto the paper. Moonlit Night sat on Shion's shoulder and rubbed his face against his neck in a comforting gesture. But Shion was barely able to feel it, too close to losing his grip on what thin thread had been holding him up this past week. "Why, Nezumi? What do you mean…"

~That Morning~

The rain splattered on the window to his room as Shion tugged on his warmest, grey-brown jeans, a white long-sleeve shirt and his favourite red-brown jumper. He picked up the letter and placed it in one of his pockets, looking around the room he spotted Hamlet perched on the windowsill looking out at the street as if expecting something. "I'll be back soon, okay," he said, turning and heading for the front door.

No matter what this letter said, if it brought bad news he would figure out another way, there was always a third option. He had to keep reminding himself that and he would be fine. Opening the front door he winced as the wind whipped past him, but proceeded anyway. He had to go on this walk to clear his head, and he had to open this letter. Then, maybe he would be able to decide what to do next.

Walking slowly, he shivered slightly as the rain slid down his body and the wind through his hair, its vicious strength giving Shion the will to go on. He turned the corner and came across the blue shelter he had been looking for. It was a small shelter that held a picnic table and a small public barbeque. He sat down on one of the benches and pulled the still dry letter (courtesy of his jumper) out of his pocket and opened the envelope. A feeling of dread set in his stomach as he read:

_Dear Shion _

_We are aware of your involvement in the revolution of No.6 and would like your help to change our city, No.5, for the better. Please consider our offer. You can take as much time as you wish. When you have reached your decision, please contact us via the telephone number below._

_Sincerely_

_Sai Satou  
Head Officer of No.5 Development Office _

Shion paused for a moment before re-reading it, then reading it again. What did this mean? Was it a threat? Did they actually want his help, or were they just trying to manipulate him? He shook his head and the clear water droplets that clung to it were thrown away. He didn't know what to make of this. If it was true then this was a breakthrough, so many lives could be saved. So much potential was hidden in this letter that Shion couldn't believe he hadn't sensed it. He laughed a true happy laugh, bit by bit, piece by piece this world was changing.

_Squeak._

Shion's head snapped to the side standing up he exclaimed. "Hamlet, it's amazing-" He was cut off short by the dripping wet _black_ mouse in front of him. His smile widened. Today was his lucky day. Not only did another city want to change…. But Nezumi had replied as well. Humming slightly, Shion picked up paper that Moonlit Night had dropped, unravelled it slowly and read,

_-I don't know-_

His brain stopped. His heart shattered.

_-I don't know-_

The world seemed to fade away.

_-I don't know-_

…

Shion fell back down onto the bench looking blindly at the darkening streets. Tears poured down his face, blurring his vision. The paper crinkled in his fist. The shelter rattled slightly as a gust of wind blew past and he rubbed furiously at his face. It had been a full week! This was how he responded? Why now? What does he mean? Why?

…

The tears wouldn't stop, his heart ached. No. His heart had shattered, all those tiny pieces stabbed his chest. How could three little words hurt so much?

…

The rain splattered on the pavement just outside the shelter, the tears fell from his cheeks and onto the paper. Moonlit Night sat on Shion's shoulder and rubbed his face against his neck in a comforting gesture. But Shion was barely able to feel it, too close to losing his grip on what thin thread had been holding him up this past week. "Why Nezumi? What do you mean…"

…

The thread… It was slipping, slowly… slowly… he felt like he was falling… what was this blackness that surrounded him…?

"No…" he breathed.

"No…" his voice rose,still barely above a whisper.

"NO!" He shouted. He still had something that he needed to do; No. 5 is counting on him. He couldn't let go now. Nezumi's rejection hurt, it hurt like hell. Shion didn't think he'd ever feel the same again. But he couldn't let it all go now. This was the third option that he told Nezumi about! He would heal all the cities then Nezumi should be okay, because then no real number would exist. Nezumi could be free of his burden. And even if he didn't choose Shion after all that, then Shion would be okay at least. Knowing that he was able to help his love.

He turned to the table and flipped the paper over, pulling the pen that had become habit to take with him everywhere out of his pocket he wrote back.

-Good-bye, for now-

Shion would return to Nezumi's side at least once more, once all this was over. So he would not give up hope, he would carry out his dream and free Nezumi, along with all the non-numbers out there. Shion walked home after watching Moonlit Night run off, the rain was nice. It reminded him of his first meeting with Nezumi. All would be good in the end, the third option had arrived and Shion wasn't going to let it go. Walking through the house he stripped off his clothes, showered and got re-dressed. He had looked up No.5 on the internet the other day, and knew that what was said in the letter was true. Again, bit by bit. Piece by piece, the puzzle would fit together and the world would be the utopia he had dreamed it to be, without any darkness lurking beneath like before. Walking down the stairs, with the letter in his hand Shion headed for the phone. He picked it up and dialled the number on the letter he held in his hand.

"Hello, this is Shion…"

* * *

Hello readers, how am I doing? How are we doing? Does it leave you wanting more?

There will be more, but this sequel is drawing to a close, what with only being a prologue, to the bigger story we have planned for you all XD I hope you stay with us till the end! 3

Oh and kitzabitza? I win! Hahahahahahahaha! (She wrote {in her ch} 2,175 | I wrote {in this ch} 2,421) Bwahahahahahahahahhahaaaaaaa a! XD XD XD XD

~_Yuki_


	5. Which Way Is Up?

**Disclaimer: **_Neither No.6 nor its characters belong to me._

**Chapter Summary: **_When Nezumi is battling with his own inner demons and emotions he doesn't understand, what is he supposed to do when the last little hope he hopelessly clings onto starts to slip through his fingertips?_

_This first part of the collab with my good buddy Yuki is supposed to be 10 chapters, and we're up to chapter 5 already… This simple letter-based story is half-way to ending! We're gradually nearing our next part… Just because I feel like sharing them, the next part to this story will be called _"The New Number", _and the third and final part will be called _"What Was Meant to be Heaven". _I hope I haven't spoiled anything! Just so keen. _

_Yuki, don't hurt me -.-_

_Yuki: Don't worry. I won't hurt you._

_Kitzabitza: Hoorah… =u=_

* * *

Nezumi's feet were aching from pacing back and forth in his room too many times to count, his head clouded with a million buzzing thoughts. Everything had started out as something that made him feel a little unsure to something that was completely tearing him apart, pushing him so far that he was balanced on the very edge of defeat and would fall with only the gentlest touch.

Emotions could be a bitch like that.

Before you know it, you'll find yourself pleading for mercy to the tears that stain your face, the droplets that burn holes in your skin to expose the shaking, quivering, fearful guts of your unstable soul. Being human with things that become dear to you, things that affect you, and things that can break your resolve makes it impossible to stay stable the whole way through. The stitches you tug at cannot hold forever.

Nezumi was beginning to realise this now. And not being in control of anything, especially himself, was something that he despised. Being unable to make firm, cold, logical judgement because his heart was getting in the way was a state he had sworn he would never lower himself to. Ever.

These letters, especially, were proving to be much more confusion than they were worth. Shion's tiny messages weighted as heavily on his chest as the ones _he_ sent himself.

Especially this most recent one.

He gritted his teeth and ignored the hot, burning pain in the soles of his feet and continued repeating the same track across the floor. The frustrated male could have sworn he would have worn marks into the concrete by now.

The confused and unstable emotions that had poured through the ink of his pen and onto a scrap of paper only 24 hours ago had left a hole in his heart that now swarmed with potent thoughtfulness. Even though it raged for understanding, clawed at him with razor nails and begged for him to comprehend the feelings that were locked in the darkest depths of his being, Nezumi had been trying as hard as he could to suppress it and ignore the pain. The rampant hunger of the beast that was himself pleaded he figure out his thoughts.

But his own heart was alien to him.

Nezumi chewed the inside of his cheek, masochistically beginning to wish that it would hurt more so it would distract him from the crazy whirlwind of his own head.

"Shion…" he whispered, forcing himself to sit on the couch to relieve his aching feet. His legs felt jittery, making him want to get up and continue on his endless journey from one site of the room to the other. "What is it about you that's making me feel so strange? Is it even your fault…?"

Nezumi sighed, "Is the one who knows nothing actually me?"

_Why am I worrying about this so much?_

_Is it because he has some sort of ulterior motive that my subconsciousness is warning me about? Does Shion want something from me?_

_No… He's too much of an airhead to be shifty like that._

_Do… _**I**_ want something from Shion?_

_What kind of question is that? There's nothing I need from him. He has his own agenda, and I have mine. If there was anything I required from him, besides answers, I'd know right away. I'm no idiot._

_Is my heart getting in the way? It feels that way. _

_But why is it affecting me this strongly?_

_If it is my heart, what emotion is it that threatens to push through the surface?_

_Do I see him as someone I want to protect?_

_Is that it?_

_Do I want to protect him?_

_Is he that important to me?_

_Do I lo-_

Tiny claws began pulling at his cargo pants, digging slightly into his skin. The frantic tugging of the robot mouse startled him, breaking his train of thought. Nezumi reached down and caressed Moonlit Night's smooth black head, wiping away the droplets of water that clung to his sleek fur. The rat nuzzled his fingers, glad to have the warmth and affection of his creator. The strip of white paper in its teeth seemed to glow, its pristine white colour startling in the dim, grey light of the room.

Nezumi tenderly took it, on some level glad that the rat had interrupted his self-interrogation before he had delved too far into it. His heart was pounding. _What had I been about to think? Do I _want_ to know?_

He pushed the thought away. It was unimportant. The paper crinkled slightly at his touch as he unfolded it, a slight smile tainting his lips at Shion's swift reply. Even still, a slight uneasiness tugged at his conscience that made his surprise joy incomplete.

_That was pretty quick… But is that a good sign, or a bad one…? I don't even know what to expect any more with these damned messages. _

He froze as his eyes skimmed over the carefully written words. A cold, vice-like grip clamped around his heart and squeezed it, hard, threatening to shatter it.

"…This…"

The strip of paper clasped in his quivering fingers became soiled with a single teardrop that fell from his hot face.

"…can't…"

Nezumi gritted his teeth.

"…be happening! What kind of message is this?!"

…

_-Goodbye, for now-_

…

"…What kind of goodbye is- No, what kind of goodbye is _any_ goodbye… Especially from you! Do you even have any idea of what I'm going through because of you, Shion?" He wiped his eyes furiously, in denial of the pain that bore into his chest, like a nail driven straight through his fragile heart.

Nezumi had only just convinced himself he was able to speak to Shion again, that he was able to stitch back the pieces of him that were falling apart, and now that white-haired boy had to tear those life-saving threads from his flesh?

Where was he going?

Or was he going nowhere, but simply moving on from Nezumi? Forgetting about his past with the blunette?

Was he leaving him?

"For now"?

That was bull.

There were no "temporary farewells".

_It's always goodbye for good._

"You can't leave me!"

Nezumi, leaving his jacket on the floor where he had tossed it after a lone walk through the streets glowing with the orange sunset, burst out of his room.

He didn't want to look at the bleak colours anymore that reflected the dark husk of his hope.

His pounding footsteps echoed through the hallway as he ran out into the open, glowing air of outdoors. The last struggling rays of sunlight groped at the earth, begging to be seen before they faded away, clawing at Nezumi's eyes. The amber glare made his eyes sting and water, but he didn't care. He powered on, shoes slamming into the crumbling dirt path and his arms pumping harder and harder as he bolted. He barely noticed when his breath grew quick and hoarse, short gasps of air grating against his lungs. Although it seemed to burn through his skin with those three painful words, Nezumi clenched Shion's letter in his balled fist. He didn't want to let it go.

He didn't want to let Shion go.

Nezumi didn't even know where he was going, but his feet continued to drag him forward with purpose, on a secret mission that not even he could be told. There was somewhere his heart knew the bluenette had to go, and it was pulling him along on an unbreakable wire.

There was somewhere he had to be.

And he had to be there now.

Before Nezumi had even realised he'd stopped running, he found himself standing in the middle of the No.6 reconstruction site. Pile after pile of bricks and timber slats littered the ground, the sunset-bathed site free of the workers that would have filled the air with the smell of sweat earlier in the day. Half-finished jobs were left alone, tools placed out in the open to be picked up again in the morning. The orange glow made the beads of sweat that glistened on his skin sparkle, reflecting the brilliant yet calm and subtle light.

Nezumi's heart pounded loudly, with exhaustion and nervousness.

His legs had carried him here, and now all he wanted to do was turn and run away. But his feet were fixed firmly to the ground. Unmoving. Disobeying his commands.

He was a sitting duck, at the beck and call of a force beyond his power.

Fate.

Beyond the silent construction site, the pristine streets of No.6 lay spread out before him in a web more complex than his confused heart.

The mere sight of the place, which was completely deserted around the outskirts now, make him sick to his stomach. The blunette had to struggle to keep himself from retching. Bitter tears flowing with painful memories pricked at his eyes.

"No.6 is a disgusting place. The things it does so ruthlessly…" he scowled to the empty air.

A torrent of ugly images that he wished with every fibre of his being he would be able to forget flooded his head.

_His mother screamed, an agonising, blood curdling cry that sent sick chills down his spine. The flames licked at his skin, reaching, groping for his young and tender flesh. His cries for her name were drowned out by the cries of other people, the pounding footsteps as they fled, the roar of the inferno that was engulfing the forest like a starving beast. He could not see her. His mother. She was gone. Even the sound of her voice had vanished. Hot tears flowed, panic fuelling his movement, heart beating so hard it hurt his chest. A sharp kick met his back, before a pain that was indescribable, a heat that felt hotter than the core of the fieriest planet. A scream tore his throat apart, making it raw._

…

_The stench of the sewer water filled his nose, soaked the rags he called his clothes. But none of that mattered. He was running for his life. He had to get away. But there was no way to get away. No escape. No freedom in a world like this. He could hear their shouts. They echoed through the darkness. He had to run. No matter how much it hurt, he could not stop. His ribs screamed, his chest heaving as he gasped for air. His feet splashed the putrid fluids flowing through the black tunnel. His foot slipped against something slimy. He didn't want to know what it was. A foul taste filled his mouth as he fell head first into a puddle of rancid water. He pulled himself back up and pounded onward. No time for gagging. A bang resounded through the tunnel, followed by a loud clang that rang in his ears. A gunshot. Missed him by inches. He struggled to maintain balance in the sludge beneath his feet. Another shot. White fire exploded in his arm. His flesh was on fire. He gritted his teeth. He couldn't scream. They'd find him easier that way. It's just a gunshot wound. He'd live. The pain is bearable._

_No. He wouldn't live. He was going to die. They were going to catch him and kill him. That's how it was always meant to be. He was born to die a pathetic death. At least death would be much more peaceful than the hell that haunted his every day._

…

_His heart was being torn to pieces. Pulled apart ruthlessly by a demon hooked on destroying the one light that had shone in his dark, dark life. Shion's glowing white hair looked so dark in comparison to his pale skin that was already beginning to lose its colour, the flesh that was slowly losing its warmth. Even in death, he was beautiful. So beautiful it made it hurt even more. Explosions all around him sent vibrations all through the floor, reminding him of his impending end. But it was okay. As long as he could stay here with the one person he had truly cared for until the last second of his pointless, expendable life. He gazed at Shion's calm expression. Such a relaxed expression for someone who has gone through so much, he thought. A song rose from deep into his chest, a beautiful tune of the wind and rain, of moving forward. The wind and rain that Shion would never again feel on his skin, never again let the raindrops weigh down his clothes or the sensation of wind rustling his hair. The words caught in his throat, his lips struggling to form the lyrics. Before he could finish his last effort for the boy, he choked up completely and fell beside Shion's limp, lifeless body. A tear ran down his cheek. It stang his face. His chest hurt more than he could ever imagine it would. He had long forgotten his wound, the blood seeping from his flesh no longer having any meaning. Shion's act to save him had been in vain; all that selfless effort, and he had died in the process. The white-haired boy should have just left him to die. Another boom shook the ground. At least he would die by his side. He could almost feel the life leaving his limbs already._

…

Nezumi's body felt numb and lifeless as the memories bitterly faded away, leaving a vile taste in his mouth. His skin felt clammy.

He wished he couldn't remember. That it would all go away. Like it had never happened.

Nezumi's feet shuffled through the dirt of their own accord, released from the invisible vice that had previously held them down. Again, he had no idea where he was going. His head was screaming at him to run, to not venture any further into the city he despised, but his body wasn't listening. His limbs were blind, deaf and mute to his thoughts. The blunette pulled and pulled, trying to turn around, but his legs soldiered on, still dragging him onward.

There was barely anybody around, only a few stray couples and the occasional family wandering the sun streaked suburb area of the city. Modest but clean and tidy buildings rose around him, their white paint looking orange and yellow in the sunset. Spotless windows reflected the bright sunlight. Tall, trimmed trees swayed and danced in the gentle breeze, but only the occasional lush green leaf floated through the air. _Even these middleclass areas are pretty fancy._

Although there was a lack of No.6 citizens around, and they all looked harmless, Nezumi could not help but flinch whenever someone walked within a few metres of him. Instinct never fails, and he had taught himself long ago that no matter how gentle or innocent someone appears, they could have a sick, twisted, murderous being hidden beneath the surface that is ready to lash out when you least expect it. Almost everybody had some sort of vicious fantasy lurking somewhere in their head, with the potential to do terrible, terrible things.

His feet suddenly stopped, and he nearly tripped and fell forwards. Why had he stopped here? He hadn't wanted to stop. Again, there was some external force at work here. Nezumi looked around.

It was a tidy, simple street, laden with quaint corner stores, tailors and bakeries. A brown cobblestone path gently worn from use wormed its way between the small but attractive houses and businesses. One of the signs caught his eye.

_Karan Bakery._

"…That's…"

_**Karan Bakery.**_

It was Shion's mother's bakery store.

A closed sign hung over the door, the display window showing the delicious cakes and rolls that would be sold the next day, several trays empty to allow space for fresh treats. His stomach growled at the sight of the mouth-watering food.

But none of that was important.

_**Shion might be in there. **_

Nezumi's heart began pounding, thumping loudly in his chest. He looked up to the second floor, straining to see in through the windows. The glare shone off the glass, making it impossible to see inside. He ran further down the street, trying to get at a different angle. Only darkness swam behind the glass.

_Is he gone? Is he gone already?! He can't have left without saying a proper goodbye! He can't leave me!_

Nezumi ran back and stood right beneath the balcony, staring up at the clean sliding-glass doors with wild eyes. The cry of the boy's name left his lips.

"**Shion!**"

Nezumi's voice echoed through the street, resonating through the silence of the calm evening. The only noise was the sound of his heaving breath. Simply saying Shion's name had drained all of the energy from him.

Nobody came. No face appeared in the window.

A lump rose in the blunette's throat. Suddenly he felt nervous; he'd lost the courage to face him. Even if Shion was inside he didn't know if he'd be able to talk to him face-to-face just yet.

Or maybe he'd already left.

Fighting the tears with all his might, Nezumi turned and ran away with a heavy heart. He vowed he would come back as many times as it took to see the white-haired boy again, even if he was already long gone. He braved one last look behind him, and he thought he saw a figure standing on the balcony of Shion's home. Even if it was him, Nezumi was too far away to tell and he couldn't convince himself to turn back.

By the time he was back outside the ruins of No.6 confining wall, the dirt crunching beneath his boots, he was crying.

* * *

_Okay, I'm back my lovelies! This was a long one… I wasn't quite sure how to write this one, but once I started it all just flowed and before I knew it I had a massive chapter! I don't think I've ever written a single chapter this long. Sure, I have longer one-shots I've done in the past but this is pretty big! Tell me what you think. I love getting reviews, and I want to know if you are enjoying the story so far!_

_Love you all :3 _

Yuki- Nuuuu I didn't get to sayz anything! TT^TT, anyway I hope you're addicted because the real stuff will be coming soon ;)

Kitzabitza: Don't ruin it for them just yet! And you helped me a lot on this chapter C:

Yuki- Cuuuz I'm awesome!

Kitzabitza: Thanks everyone! And especially thanks Yuki.

Yuki- See you all in the next chapter 3 xx


	6. Goodbye, Old Shion

**Disclaimer-**I don't own No.6, but my world domination is close! :3

**Chapter Summary-** Shion says goodbye to everyone.

**Yuki:**Hya readers, this is the second last chapter. Me and kitzabitza wanted this to go for at least ten chapters but there's only so much to work with Hahaha. We have plenty of new characters and much more mysterious things happening in the background of our next sequel. I hope you're ready for it!

Kitzabitza: _I _wanted it to go for 10 chapters… :x But again, the story in this segment just would have dragged if we made it that long… Anyways, enjoy Yuki's chapter! :D

* * *

The words in front of him began to blur together as he yawned and he rubbed at his eyes furiously. He was tired and staying up late like he had been sorting out everything hadn't been helping. He was currently at his computer doing a survey for his new job. It was all about what skills he had and the basic what-nots but he found that he couldn't even read it because of his drowsiness. He blinked at the screen a few more times before sighing and shutting it down; there was no point in staring at it pointlessly anymore. He could just finish it in the morning. Placing the laptop on charge he gave Hamlet a quick pet on the head and turned around. Looking outside he noticed the sun was barely beginning to set and frowned. He really should stay up a little longer, and fix his sleeping pattern if he could. Shion had been so stressed lately that he'd been collapsing of exhaustion during the day, sleeping for hours when he wasn't supposed to.

He walked over to the mirror and looked at his shirtless reflection- it was hot, okay- and smiled reminiscently. People used to say that Shion was unfit and couldn't even lift a brick. But, ever since his return from the outside of No.6, he had been working out whenever he could to try and build up his strength .Just small things like running on the tread mill. He now supported small but firm biceps and a six pack. He was still slim but his figure now held a lithe, fit and agile look. Shaking his head, he looked to his bed and mumbled about how stupid everything was.

"Damn it," he grumbled shaking his head, his tired mood getting the better of him as he flopped onto his bed. It really was soft. Shion wanted one last time to see Nezumi before he set off, but he knew that was impossible. With the letter he sent, he knew that Nezumi might have found it difficult to understand. He couldn't have felt Shion's resolve and determination through that 3 word message. Shion never intended to cause confusion or hurt, but that was the way he felt things had to be done. His farewell still didn't stop him from hoping that maybe, just maybe he would see the bluenette again. Shion closed his ruby red eyes and ran his hand through his soft white locks. Tomorrow he was going to say good-bye to everyone before he left that afternoon. It seemed like it was all happening too fast but he had no other choice. He was the one who had made the decision to leave, and it was for a good cause. The earlier he moved on and helped to develop a new understanding, the faster the world would evolve beyond the pain and suffering.

He had promised himself that he would at least say good-bye to Safu, see her grave once more before he left, but it didn't mean he was looking forward to it. Sighing, he let his arm fall over his eyes and thoughts of Nezumi began resurfacing. He couldn't hold back the small giggle; Nezumi really had taken up a lot of his time, and he didn't even have to be here! He smiled softly as images of the way the bluenette looked and how his personality used to be filled his mind. Their last kiss and the way they had danced to nothing other than Nezumi's heartbeat. Lastly, he remembered that beautiful voice. The way it used to call to Shion, albeit most of the time back then he had been yelling at Shion to grow up or something along those lines.

"**Shion!"**

He could hear it now. The white haired boy smiled softly as he indulged himself with the memories he could imagine the way Nezumi used to feel.

Shion froze. Wait, he had actually heard that hadn't he!? Shion sat up as fast as he could and tried to get off the bed, but got tangled in the sheets and fell off.

"Dammit, let me go!" he growled, kicking them off. Racing over to the door, he threw the glass door open and ran out. Grabbing the railing he looked around frantically. He couldn't see anybody on the footpath below. "Nezumi!" he shouted.

To his right he could see a figure in the distance and watched as it stopped. It was too far away so he couldn't tell, but the figure seemed to look back at him. Shion knew without a doubt that it was Nezumi, as he launched himself over the side of the veranda.

His new agility and energy pushed him onwards so as he rushed after the quickly disappearing figure, he barely broke a sweat. There was no way he was letting Nezumi get away, not when he was this close.

He ran as fast as he could and just as he was catching up he turned the corner and found himself in a cemetery, the figure nowhere in sight. Shion knew that going through here lead to one of the easiest breaks in the wall to get through, but gave up. Nezumi obviously wasn't ready. That is, if the figure really was the bluenette he missed. For all he knew if could have just been a figment of his imagination. He had only just been reminiscing about the old times, after all.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair again; it really was becoming a habit of his. He looked around at all the graves and realised something; it was where Safu's Grandma had been buried.

He weaved through the little gaps left between the graves as he made his way over to the Safu's Grandma's grave and upon arrival he noticed the little patch of dirt where he had buried Safu's scarf beside it. It was the only thing she had left behind. He smiled softly. At least he wouldn't have to visit tomorrow.

"Hey guys, I'm leaving tomorrow." He crouched down beside he headstone and the other makeshift grave. "I'm heading over to No5. I know, Safu… I was shocked they'd want an idiot like me as well." He laughed imagining his friend's reaction to the news. "I hope I learn some new things while I'm over there. I'm going to give it my best and use that place as a stepping stone. Just you watch. I will change the world, Safu. I'll make it a better place, and Granny… I'll be sure to bring you and Safu flowers when I come back." He smiled but stood up to leave. It was getting dark now and the cold was biting at his bare skin. H hadn't even thought about the fact he was shirtless until the cold night air began to sink in. So much for the hot day. "I have to go now. Don't worry, I _will_ come back, and next time I'll bring Nezumi." He laughed as he turned and navigated his way home.

Walking through the front door he walked up to his room and collapsed on the bed, passing out only seconds after he had gotten under the covers.

"_Shion" Nezumi called running over and hugging Shion to his chest. "Isn't it great?" The bluenette asked as they looked out of a high sky rise and onto the town of No.5. Shion smiled and turned back to Nezumi as he hugged him to his chest._

"_Nezumi, I'm so glad you're here with me." He said, looking up at the other and flinching at the distant look in his eyes._

"_But I can't stay..." Nezumi said backing away into a newly forming darkness. Shion reached out to grab Nezumi again, but he had stepped out of his reach._

"_No, please don't leave!" He cried lunging forward and blinking his eyes. Wiping his eyes he opens them only to find himself suddenly surrounded by dead bodies. There was a horrible, rotten stench in the air. Nezumi re-appeared right in front of him with a disgusted look on his face. _

"_WHAT HAVE YOU FIXED?! LOOK AROUND!" Nezumi yelled at him, gesturing to the bodies. Shion didn't want to see but he couldn't look away; he saw Safu her beautiful brown hair drenched in the blood pouring from a gash on her forehead, his mum with cold lifeless eyes staring unblinking at him, Inukashi with her body all twisted and mangled, and so many other faces that he recognised. _

"_NO PLEASE, NEZUMI I TRIED! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!" He spun his face to where Nezumi was but the other man was gone, only leaving a tiny blue mouse in his wake. The mountain bodies, the city and the endless blue sky faded to blackness. The mouse scampered off and Shion followed. "Please, please don't leave me alone…" He whispered, following it through a door that suddenly appeared before him in the hollow black space. It lead him into a darkened room. The door slammed behind him and he was surrounded by darkness once more before thousands of TV like screens flickered to life, each showing a memory. _

"_Can you save him?" A voice asked, deep and revibrating in the room. Shion's red eyes locked on a screen that showed him and Nezumi laughing together when they were younger. _

"_Yes I can. I promised I would," he replied to the voice, his eyes scanning over the happy memories. A loud screech assailed his ears and all of the TV screens went static before the all showed a picture of Nezumi's face scrunch up in pain, before fading and showing him slowly walking away. Tears started to well in Shion's crimson eyes as the meaning of the simple movement hit him._

"_How can you save someone, when you yourself are in need of a saviour?" The voice asked from behind him its cold breath tickling the fine hairs on his neck, but before he could turn he felt a sharp blade at his neck. "You are useless, no matter how hard you try. Nezumi will not care for you as you do for him, and your piteous ideas will never leave the confines of your stupid mind," growled the voice, now completely cold with malice and hate, as it pressed the cold metal harder and the blade cut across Shion's skin like butter._

"NO!" Shion shouted sitting up in his bed with his arm outstretched, as if trying to grab something, the moonlight shone through his window covering his skin in a white and silver glow. His heart was beating erratically and his body was covered in cold sweat. Shion grasped his neck, feeling a shiver all over when he decided it was unscathed. He closed his eyes and hugged his knees to his chest as he allowed a single tear to escape, the dream weighing down on his shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Nezumi…" he repeated over and over until he lulled himself back into a dreamless sleep.

Shion sat in his bed, resting against the wall as he looked out his window. Not a single person walked by, so no one was there to bear witness to the complete lack of emotion on the young man's face. He was completely focused on his dream from the previous night. _You always dream about your innermost thoughts,_ his mind told him and he cringed. Sighing, he tried to shake off the dream but it clung to his mind relentlessly as he walked down the stairs.

Reaching the landing, he smelt the alluring scent of bacon, eggs and hash-browns, making his mouth water and letting him temporarily forget his dream. "Morning, Mum," he greeted, hugging his mother from behind as she washed some dishes. She placed the last pan on the rack and pulled the plug out as she rinsed her hands.

"Morning, Shion. I decided to cook you a feast for the big day ahead," she replied, and her soft voice washed over Shion like a calming lullaby making him even more upset about having to leave her alone again. He let go and went to sit at the table and waited patiently until she came over as well, placing the still steaming food in front of him before sitting down on the opposite side of Shion. "Shion, I'm sorry. I wanted to spend your last day here with you but Kuro needs me to come over today, something about urgent business," she said, picking up a piece of bacon and munching it as Shion finished his own mouthful.

"That's okay, I'll send you messages when I get on and off the ferry. Have a safe trip to Kuro's house." He replied, smiling kindly at his mum, who stood and walked over to give him another hug. Just as she embraced him, his whole body flinched as her lifeless body from his dream flashed in his eyes, making her pull away.

"You okay, dear?" She asked, looking at him worriedly. He smiled back and nodded picking up another piece of bacon and making shooing motions with his hands. Karan smiled one last time and gave him a quick peck on his head before heading out the door.

At her exit, Shion promptly ran upstairs to the bathroom and threw up the contents of his stomach. Even after he started dry heaving, the images from the dream mixing with his real memories of the mountains of bodies under the laboratory that Safu destroyed. He didn't want to remember it, the smell, and the corpses, none of it! Sighing when his stomach finally calmed down he stood slowly, bracing himself against the wall and wiped a tear from his slightly blurry eyes.

Shion stumbled over to the mirror and washed out his mouth. After he set his tooth-brush back in the cup he went back downstairs and packed up all the food, nibbling on bits and pieces but afraid that eating too much might make him sick again. Once all the food way placed away nicely he went back to his room and began to make sure all his things were packed.

"_You know Shion, you can't always be so trusting of everyone," a young Safu said to Shion as he came back from telling the stranger which way the shop was. The brunette smiled brightly and waved a hand._

"_It's okay, he was nice," he replied, giggling slightly as he grabbed his friend's arm and dragged her in the direction of his house. "Come on, Mum's making spaghetti!" He shouted excitedly, releasing her arm and jogging ahead laughing loudly, today was a special day after all. "Happy Birthday S-A-F-U~," he sung, swinging his arms._

_*beep, beep, beep*_

_Shion looked around confusion colouring his face as the beeping echoed around him and got steadily louder and louder. He looked back at Safu who smiled and waved, and then his vision went black._

Rolling over Shion glared daggers at his alarm and sat up. _Well, at least it had been a pleasant dream_, he thought, kicking his feet over the edge and looking around his now barren room. His nap hadn't given him as much rest as he'd wanted. He sighed and rubbed at his eyes sleepily as he yawned then he glanced back at his clock ~01:02pm~. He smiled slightly; he still had half an hour before he had to leave.

Looking around his room again, he took a deep breath and brought Nezumi to the front of his mind, deciding now would be the best time to get out any worries, and doubts. So let's start;

_1: Nezumi could very well hate his guts_, he thought to start and flinched as the dream voice resounded in his mind: '_No matter how hard you try. Nezumi will not care for you as you do for him'_

1: Nezumi could be coming to see him now to ask about the letter. _Ha, not likely_, he thought as his vision blurred and he sniffed.

Before he could think of anymore possibilities, the tears started flowing and he let them, only bending his head and covering his face with his hands as the salty liquid fell. He sat there for a while as the tears steadily fell, before he felt the sudden urge to speak his thoughts aloud. It was the only apology he would be capable of giving.

"I am so, so sorry for everything N-Nezumi. For the pain I p-pu-put you through with….. making you c-come here, for making y-yo-you choose….. be-between me and your f-freedom and most of all…. N-Not being able to…. H-h-help y-you whe-when y-you nee-needed me t-the m-m-mo-most!" He cried, stuttering profoundly towards the end as the sobs racked his body. Spoken aloud, the words affected him more than in his head. He cried like that, loudly and unashamed for another few minutes until it died down to a quite sob. He stood, walking silently to the bathroom as small sniffs and shivers ran over his body.

After washing his face and making sure he wasn't going to cry anymore, he walked back into his room and grabbed his main suitcase. The rest had already been taken by a moving service before he fell asleep. Taking one last look around his now barren and empty room, he smiled wistfully and took a deep breath before turning and heading out the door.

"Squeak." The faint sound came from his feet and Shion looked down, smiling at his little white mouse.

"Hey Hamlet, when did you get back?" he asked, bending down and picking the fluffy creature up and placing it on his shoulder. He scratched its head slightly as he walked out of the house and locked the front door. "Well little buddy, ready to go?" Shion turned and headed towards the dock.

"Squeak, squeak!" was the robot mouse's reply, making him laugh. Shion looked forward resolutely as he headed for his departing point, and made sure his thoughts were in order before smiling an "I'm-the-best-there-is" grin at no one in particular. This was the first step, the first piece to the puzzle, and he would see it through to the end.

* * *

Yuki: *Sneaks up behind Kitzabitza while whispering* How did I do? Review us ne? Oh watch this! *Evil glint in eye* RAWR *suddenly throws book at Kitzabitza's head* Woop! Bulls eye!

Kitzabitza: *Poof*

Yuki: OH NO! SUBSTITUTION JUTSU! AHHH-MMMPHHHHHH *gets grabbed*

Kitzabitza: Everyone, thank you for staying with us so far! *groans as Yuki elbows me in the ribs* Stay still, dammit! I need to do my bit! *holds Yuki tighter* I hope you've enjoyed our story to this point, because the next one is our last chapter! Don't be upset, because now is when the action happens! The story of our beloved Nezumi and Shion will continue soon in our next segment, _"The New Number"_. Stay tuned for more, next chapter is on its way! Ihavetowriteitquicklyandsoon becauseotherwiseyukiwillpull anotheroneofherattacksonme TT^TT

Yuki: mmph mn mnph mnm mmmppphhh! (See you all next chapter!)

Xo Yuki oX


	7. Stepping Stones

**Disclaimer: **We own nothing. Yet C:

**Chapter Summary: **Nezumi is feeling everything starting to slowly break apart and slip away. Who and what he was before is crumbling right in front of his eyes. Now, there is only the decision to gather the scattered pieces and clutch onto something that is already long gone, or leave it all behind and start afresh.

* * *

Nezumi closed his door behind him with an audible _click_, not bothering to lock it. Even now, there were so many filthy criminals lurking in the streets of the West District that knew how to pick locks that it was pointless, anyway. He stared into the darkness of the hallway with a stone, expressionless face. A dark shadow was cast over his eyes, just like his mind. His cowardliness in No.6 gnawed at him, ridiculing his feeble efforts to do the one thing that felt important; see Shion. The farewell strip of paper remained in the pocket of his jacket, a constant reminder of his spineless retreat.

A little voice in his head kept poking at him, taunting him in hope of a raging reaction. _Hah! Some clever little rat you are. You can't even find your way into one festering hole like that city! You've done it so many times before, so why not now? Have you lost your touch? No. __**You're just worthless. **__You finally get what you want and then you run off with your tail between your legs? Did you really want to see him, or was it just an excuse for your pathetic weeping?_

If the mocking cackle of the speech had belonged to a real person, Nezumi would have strangled them long ago.

He kicked at the grime and stones beneath his feet. The blunette had felt the sudden urge to go somewhere, but as soon as the door had snapped closed he had forgotten where it was his feet were leading him. He stood there ridiculously, not wanting to leave or go back inside. Before he could make a decision, thumping footsteps echoed through the passageway and the shadow of a large figure stretched across the floor.

Nezumi's manager from the theatre stormed up to him, his face a brighter red than a tomato and nearly steaming with fury. His moustache stuck up at strange angles, and each time he puffed angrily the buttons on his tight suit threatened to pop of from his round, heaving stomach.

"Eve!" he growled, a drop of perspiration rolling down his forehead. He leaned in close to Nezumi's frowning face. "Where on _earth _have you been?!" Nezumi got a direct blast of the manager's rank breath. The stench of alcohol was so strong it made his eyes water.

The blunette took a step back. "Manager…"he muttered calmly. All of the wild emotions of depression, anger, despair and loss that had been triggered by the confusing letters to Shion rippled through his body. He stuck his hand in the pocket with the letter, the feeling of the crinkled paper against his fingers reassuring. "I've been… busy."

"_Busy?" _The word came out as a roar. Spittle sprayed onto Nezumi's face. "Too busy for your job? You know, you really are a selfish bastard, Eve. If you don't turn up to rehearsals, your pocket is not the only one that suffers. We lose money! They love you, Eve. They love your acting. You're breathtaking, my star actor! And when you don't turn up, people become dejected and disinterested, or snide and rude! People don't turn up! I bet half the people in the theatre come to see your damned acting." The manager gripped Nezumi's shirt in an iron grip and pulled him closer, staring right into Nezumi's piercing grey eyes with a fiery gaze.

"We're losing money. And the only way we can make an income is losing you. That, or you actually put some damned effort in." His voice was barely a whisper, but it had all the malice of a blood-thirsty scream. He glared daggers into Nezumi's unwavering stare for a few painful seconds before releasing the blunette gently, turning and storming away.

"Make a decision in two days. Come back and join us at the theatre again, or you lose your job and we will never take you back. It's your choice, Eve." With that, the manager left, leaving only the wafting stench of stale beer in the air.

Nezumi stood there for a few dumbfounded seconds before he wiped the hot saliva off his cheeks, and winced. Couldn't everybody just leave him alone? It felt like everybody in the word was just out to make his life a mess. A lump rose in his throat.

There was nobody to listen to him whine. Nobody had the time or the patience to hear out a deranged man like him. And it was pathetic to see a man cry. But there was _one _person he knew who wouldn't dismiss him completely. Someone who would at listen to him, as least for a little, before tossing his words away.

Inukashi.

Nezumi trudged through the dust surrounding Inukashi's dog-ridden hotel, kicking up dust beneath his boots. The longer he had walked through the streets of the West District, the more his mind dwelled on the aching in his chest, the more it pained him. He felt like clawing open his chest and tearing out his heart, because that was the only way he could make it stop beating like crazy from the nerves that made him quiver. Nezumi threw himself onto a stack of tires, sitting there and trying to calm his heaving breaths.

He hadn't spoken to Inukashi since the incident in the correctional facility. There was a very slim chance that she'd actually want to face the blunette. Normally, he'd feel confident in speaking to her; she may be tough from the hard-ships life had thrown her way, but she was still a woman. No matter how masculine she came across, there was still the softness deep inside her that only a female could possess. Nezumi was always certain he could use that to his advantage and sway her to his opinions.

But now, everything felt different. He could barely remember the confident person he used to be. The striking, famous actor. The sly, sneaky rat who could get himself anywhere without detection. It was all gone. Slipping through his fingertips. He was a nervous wreck.

It sounded pathetic in his head, but right now Inukashi was the only thread linking him back to his normal life, and back to Shion. So he needed her.

"What are you doing moping around here, Nezumi?" inquired a mocking, rough voice, that was gruff and solid like that of a man's, but wasn't deep; it almost sounded like the voice of an undeveloped boy.

Nezumi whipped around to see Inukashi's teasing grin, her matted brown hair tumbling down her shoulders and falling into her eyes in thick, auburn locks. Her rich tanned skin was covered with dirt, as was her shaggy clothing, and a happily panting dog trotted at her side. She chuckled slightly, a throaty snigger.

"Eeeeeeh? You're only just noticing me! You've lost your touch!" Nezumi still sat there on the tires, staring at her with a blank expression. But his head was far from plain.

_What do I say? I'm not going to come across as an idiot! She's mocked me enough already. I don't need or want any more of her tongue-in-cheek remarks. _

"What's wrong?" she asked, striding closer with her scarred hands on her thin, bony hips. "Got nothing to say? Nothing like you at all!" She stood over him, seeming to be indulging of her current position of power. Nezumi felt like a child again, as though he was cowering beneath a monster. He suddenly felt weak and powerless. Though, to tell the truth, he had felt that way for a long time now.

He lowered his head, tired of looking at her spiteful smirk. "Not like me…? Who is me?" he muttered, his hair falling into his eyes. Tears began to well in them, but he couldn't… No, _wouldn't, _let her see. Inukashi scoffed again.

"What are you muttering about?" She grabbed his fine, greyish locks and yanked his head up none too gently. Pain pricked at Nezumi's scalp as his hair was harshly tugged. He couldn't pull his head away, and his neck was bent at an awkward and uncomfortable angle. A tear escaped and ran down his cheek, and his chest tightened. Inukashi's grin quickly faded, her chuffed and teasing mood suddenly deflating. Her malevolent expression was replaced with a look of horror.

"You wouldn't understand. It's all too hard," he replied, struggling to form the words. It was not only hard to say to somebody else, but incredibly difficult for him to admit himself. He felt defeat. She continued to stare into his grey, watery eyes with a disturbed expression, and that only upset and infuriated him more. A painful lump rose in his throat, and gentle sobs made him shiver.

"Just like you to react like that!" he shouted. Inner agony coloured his words. "Do you have _any _idea what I've been feeling lately?! We don't have the best lives, but this is the worst! And now you just ignore the pain in my heart and stand over me like you're the boss of the world! You're not! Leave me alone! What do you know? Nobody will understand me!" He screamed the last bit, all of the words flowing out of their own accord. He hadn't wanted to say that. That wasn't what he'd wanted to do. But the tears continued to stream down his face. He'd lost it. His strength was gone. Any will to fight the world left him in the salty water flowing from his eyes.

_Have you lost your touch?_

_No._

_**You're just worthless!**_

_Game over, Nezumi._

His hair was suddenly released, and a hand smacked him in the face with a loud, echoing _SLAP!_

Nezumi's head was thrown back as hot, burning pain exploded in his left cheek. He howled in agony, falling backwards into the pile of rubber tires beneath him and clutching at the pulsating flesh on his face. He glared at Inukashi in horror, tears of pain mixing with the ones already staining his cheeks.

"What was that fo-." Nezumi's shocked remark was cut off as he took a hard kick to the stomach, winding him. Nezumi gasped for air as he was knocked over again, smashing his back on the hard ground. The sharp rocks dug painfully into his skin. Nezumi wheezed, grasping his wounds. He winced in discomfort when he touched them; they'd _definitely _bruise. He lay there on the ground, panting, as the thoroughly pissed off woman stormed through the dust.

"'What was that for'?! _DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!_" Inukashi stood before Nezumi, panting in frustration with her hands balled into tight fists. Her knuckles were turning white, and her hands looked like they were shaking. Her face was twisted into a scowl, but beneath the heated layer of fuming anger it looked as though she was about to cry. The shaggy dog behind her whimpered in distress.

"_You're _the one who knows nothing! What's this depressed mess you've turned yourself into?! You've lowered yourself to the status of a weeping little girl!" Nezumi continued to stare at Inukashi, shocked beyond words. The tingling, twitching sobs that had wracked his body had been startled out of him, replaced with a fearful tenseness. She grabbed his shirt and yanked him up onto his knees. The stones grazed his legs even through his thick pants. The blunette gritted his teeth and ignored the discomfort.

"This is completely and utterly ridiculous! What has you so worked up? The sly, sneaky and shifty rat that you normally are I despise with a passion, but when you're this shaking, feeble child I seriously want to punch your face in! You're supposed to be hardened and tough! Yet, now, you stare at me with teary little eyes! Are you weak?!"

Those three little words rang agonizingly in his throbbing head. _Are you weak?! _Nezumi shivered, a sick feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. How dare she insult him! He grabbed Inukashi's wrist with a shaking hand and squeezed as hard as he could. She barely flinched, her steadfast glare reflecting her deep frustration. He growled low in his throat like a feral animal.

"_Don't even _try _to offend me,_" he hissed. "_I am not weak._" The salty fluids on his face made his skin feel sticky and stiff as he scowled in fury. She glared back into his solid, startlingly grey gaze for a few seconds before a wicked grin touched her lips. The thin woman threw her head back and cackled, releasing Nezumi and allowing him to fall to the ground. Her manic laughter rang in the air, and she held a hand to her stomach as the giggles made her shake. _Is this some sort of joke to her?!_ Nezumi pulled himself up out of the dirt and ran straight at her. The blunette grabbed her by the arm mid-laugh and pinned it behind her back. Quickly whipping out the knife he always kept in his boot and pressing it hard against her exposed neck, she stopped laughing. But, that same amused grin pulled at her face. The dog began barking angrily, trying to bite at Nezumi, but at a noise that resounded deep in Inukashi's throat it stopped and began to back away hesitantly. She growled again, and it ran off with a worried whine.

"Oooooh? So your wild side is still deep down in you, eh? I thought you'd gone to mush!" she muttered harshly, ignoring Nezumi's heated breath on her face. "I didn't think you had it in you!" Her voice was animated and teasing, obviously mocking him again.

"Shut _up,_" growled Nezumi, pressing the knife harder into her flesh. Her skin broke, and a drop of blood trickled down her tanned neck and stained the fabric of her shirt. She flinched slightly as it cut her, but they both remained rigid. Her body was hot against his, but she wasn't sweating with panic or fear. A tension hung in the air, and it felt as though if either of them moved it would shatter and ruin them both.

"Hey, hey, hey! Calm down, Nezumi." Even now, with her life literally balanced on the blade of a knife, her voice retained the same sardonic tune. "There's obviously something on your mind. You've shown me more emotion in the last five minutes than you've ever exposed to the world in your whole lifetime!"

_Am I being ridiculed again? _

"It's none of your business."

"Oh, there's business, is there? Does it have anything to do with that wretched hell-hole of a city?"

"I told you it is_ none of your business."_

"Aha! You're caught up in that disgusting No.6 again. I bet this has something to do with _Shion._"

Nezumi flinched.

_Shion. _

He freed her, the slightly blood-stained knife falling into the dirt at his feet. It embedded itself in the hard, barren earth, the hilt sticking up like a flagpole. Simply hearing Shion's name made him feel… _uneasy_. That simple, air-headed boy had dragged him through the festering mud and lowered him to this mess. Nezumi froze.

No.

It wasn't Shion's fault.

It was how Nezumi saw it all.

It was _his_ fault.

Nezumi was the one who had to get a grip.

And it had to be _now._

Nezumi shook himself, as though trying to toss off the cloud of dark depression that still tried to cling to his fevered skin. "Some things I have to do on my own!" shouted Nezumi, his chest swelling with a new-found enthusiasm. "I don't need you to pry! Shion is none of your business, it's my problem! You always follow your selfish ways, not bothering to care about others because they'll only bring you down. That's not how the world works! Other people are an important part of your happiness!" Nezumi flung his arm through the air around hi, gesturing to his surroundings to emphasise his point. Inukashi opened her mouth to interject, a puzzled look on her face, but Nezumi powered on. He wasn't going to stop. He had to get it out, and it didn't matter how insane she thought he was.

"We have to keep moving forward! Staying stuck in the past only drags us down! I'm moving forward, and there's nobody who's going to stop me!" He felt a grin pull at his face of its own accord. It was the first time he had smiled for a long time.

It felt _great. _

Before Inukashi could say anything else, Nezumi turned and ran. He didn't even bother to pick up his knife. He wanted out of here. There was no reason to stay huddled up in a corner of the West District, weeping in the dark, twisted shadows that fed off his unstable conscience. There had to be an end to the pain, and that meant taking initiative.

Nezumi kept running, ignoring the stitch that ached in his ribs, and didn't look back.

Inukashi watched Nezumi bolt through the slum streets, pushing through the crowd and seeming to not care when people stumbled to the dusty ground. He'd had a sort of gleam in his eye, a determination that burned brighter than she had ever seen before. She stood there for a few moments, hand still extended in his direction like she was reaching for him beyond the streets to drag him back. Realising she was frozen like a statue, Inukashi shook herself and started heading back into her hotel.

What had triggered that reaction?

Inukashi couldn't help but snigger when she realised what had gotten the haywire rat so eager. A laugh erupted from her, and she slapped her knee in humour. It was _completely_ hilarious to think that the serious, emotionless and logical Nezumi could be thrown off the tracks by something as simple as that. She tried to stifle her laughter, wiping a tear of humour from her eye.

"Hah! I see how it is now!" She leant against the coarse, scratchy bricks of her run-down but welcoming – to her, anyway – building. The cool stone felt pleasurable against her skin.

"You fell in love with him." Her voice was a soft, kind mutter. It wasn't a joke, or anything to mock Nezumi. It was the truth, and no matter how much Nezumi denied it, or even if he had not realised his own emotions yet there was an undying affection for Shion deep down in his soul. She smiled gently, closing her muddy-brown eyes.

"Serves you right."

He just kept running. There was no need to stop. He was leaving it all behind, and there was no turning back now.

Nezumi had only taken one break and that was to go back to his room and bring only the major necessities. Two bags of gold pieces. Cravat, who was now repaired. A small monitor. A series of maps for all of the utopian cities. His jacket.

That was all he needed to find himself again and to build a new path toward making it up to Shion.

His now meagre belongings bounced against his back in the bag he had thrown over his shoulder, the only slight weight reassuring that he was ready to let his life from before go. His feet pounded into the dirt, and he felt like he was retracing his steps from the day before. He could almost imagine his winding, confused footsteps in the dirt before him leading back to No.6.

But this time he had resolve. He wasn't wandering there feeling at loss. He was ready now.

"Eve!"

Nezumi screeched to a stop, spinning around to see his manager racing after him with a face red from exertion. The round man huffed and puffed, taking a moment to catch his breath once he caught up to the blunette.

"What are you doing this far out of West District?" he asked, frown lines etched into his pudgy skin. "I saw you powering through the streets! You need to make a decision."

"I have made a decision. And I'm getting my act together. From now on, I'm committing." Nezumi suppressed a malicious grin as the manager's face lit up with relief and hope. He grasped Nezumi by the shoulders and shook him in excitement, chuckling with joy.

"Ah, this is wonderful!" he exclaimed, sweeping an arm through the air. "I'll be expecting you there at the theatre tomorrow, Eve!" The manager slapped Nezumi playfully on the back, but the blunette pushed him away. He finally let loose a manic grin, sniggering with amusement.

"What? Sorry, did I say I was coming back to the theatre?" Nezumi frowned and stroked his chin thoughtfully in mock puzzlement. "Hmm, I don't remember mentioning anything like that."

The manager froze, staring at Nezumi in confusion and horror. He stuttered, waving his hands around madly as he tried to say something comprehendible.

"I'm committing to _myself_." With that, Nezumi turned and walked off, ignoring the shouts and objections of portly man in the sweaty suit behind him. Nezumi's chest swelled with satisfaction. He was no longer important.

Nezumi loved his acting, but it was okay to let it go. There were things that were more important to him now.

Before he knew if, he was standing in front of Shion's house again, staring up at the golden sunlight that reflected off the glass windows of the store. He had a sudden nauseating wave of déjà vu, but he shrugged it off. Again, this time was different. He was prepared.

Nezumi contemplated simply going inside and confronting Shion, but there were several issues to that method; A) Shion would not be there, B) It would be an awkward conversation trying to explain why he broke into his home or C) He would be mistaken for an attacker and most likely taken into custody by police or beaten to a pulp on the spot.

None of things were an option.

Nezumi gently placed his sack on the ground, and slipped his hand inside. Cravat's soft fur brushed his fingertips, and he carefully took out the robot mouse. Cravat twitched his nose excitedly, eager to carry out his mission.

He affectionately rubbed a thumb over Cravat's soft face before setting the rat on the rough concrete path and allowing him to scurry off. A smile touched his lips as the robot squeezed through a crack in the wall, squeaking with anticipation. He stood there for a moment, and his heart began thumping in expectancy, getting a strong premonition that everything would work out just as he had planned. This would be perfect. He'd work out and begin to understand the turmoil of emotions buried deep inside him with Shion by his side.

Nezumi crouched in the small garden by the Karan Bakery, snapping into business mode. He took out the small monitor from his bag, quickly turning it on. The screen flickered to life, and a blurry, swirling image on the display slowly came into focus. Nezumi quickly took the small headphone plugged into the monitor and inserted it into his ear. A room dimly lit by the gentle orange light of the afternoon sun was displayed on the screen. Clean, smudge-free glass cabinets were spread throughout the room, laden with breads and cakes. Nezumi grinned. Cravat had gotten inside.

The rat continued running through the room, bolting up the stairs. Nezumi watched the live video stream from the robot's point of view intently, never looking away from the screen. He felt tense; he'd never actually _seen _the inside of Shion's home here in Lost Town, let alone been inside. He had spent one fateful night in his room in Chronos, but it was completely different. This building here was warmer; no blindingly white tiles and futurist looking machines and computers in every room, only simple but homely dark timber floors, and the occasional every-day appliance. Cravat reached the top of the stairs, and stood outside a dark room. Shadows stretched beyond the doorway, making it near impossible to see inside.

Nezumi's heart skipped a beat when he heard a sudden sniff from inside.

Cravat scattered quietly inside, the almost inaudible clicks of his rapidly shuffling claws moving in time with his pounding chest. The room was barren, only minimal furniture and a single suitcase left. Nezumi swallowed. He really was leaving.

"I am so, so sorry for everything N-Nezumi."

Nezumi froze, his breath catching in his throat. The video panned as Cravat slowly turned his head to face the source of the voice.

Startling, silky white hair. A pink mark winding around his skin. A thin, compact figure.

It was Shion.

Nezumi felt a sudden overwhelming wave of sadness when he saw the boy's hunched figure, his shoulders quivering as he held his face in his hands and wept softly. He could see streams of wet tears rolling down his arms, glowing amber from the sunlight gently bathing his almost empty bedroom. He felt like he was intruding on a private moment, but he couldn't back out now.

Shion had _said his name aloud. _

He held the monitor closer, listening closer. Shion's shaky voice sounded again. "For the pain I p-pu-put you through with….. making you c-come here, for making y-yo-you choose….. be-between me and your f-freedom and most of all…. N-Not being able to…. H-h-help y-you whe-when y-you nee-needed me t-the m-m-mo-most!"

Nezumi's chest tightened, and he felt tears prick at his eyes. Was Shion really this torn over everything? Was he this deep in emotional pain, just as Nezumi himself had been?

_How selfish I am. All this time I didn't realise that he has problems too. _

Nezumi still sat there, outside of the bakery that Shion called home, watching the boy's thin frame shiver as he threw his head back and cried, tears flowing from his rich, red eyes and staining his flushed skin. The more Shion wept the more Nezumi felt ashamed of his arrogance.

Suddenly, the boy stopped crying, sniffing a few times before standing. He swayed on his feet, obviously still slightly unstable after his breakdown. Shion shuffled away, flicking on a light in a room Nezumi assumed was the bathroom. It took a few moments for Nezumi to realise he was staring at the image of the empty room, unshed tears clouding his vision. He blinked them away, whispering softly into the receiver of the headphone cord to call Cravat back. The rat turned and bolted, scurrying to Nezumi's side after a few minutes.

Nezumi stood, gently tossing Cravat and the monitor back into his bag. This couldn't go on. There was no need to force answers out of Shion. He had to apologise.

The blunette nearly jumped out of his boots when he heard the lock on the bakery door click, followed by the sweet jingling of a bell.

"Shit!" he hissed under his breath, diving into the nearest bush. The stiff branches dug into his flesh, stinging his tender skin but he had to ignore it. He crouched as still as possible, a human statue. _Darn it… Freaked out. _He had barely concealed himself when Shion stepped outside, a cheerful grin on his pale face. The sobbing, shuddering child Shion had exposed only minutes before almost felt like a distant memory, a blurry image from long in the past. Nezumi found himself staring at the boy who stood there, suitcase in hand and Hamlet sitting attentively on his shoulder and clinging onto his shirt. The golden light seemed to make Shion glow, a white-haired angel shining among the sinful darkness that lingered in the slowly reforming city.

He was _beautiful._

Shion started walking down the path, heading off. Nezumi gritted his teeth. _No, he can't walk off yet!_

He wormed his way out of the shrub as silently as possible, leaves clinging to his grey locks. Shion continued powering on, one foot stepping in front of the other deliberately and enthusiastically. Nezumi thought he heard the boy humming a cheerful tune to himself. Heart pounding rapidly in his chest, Nezumi got up onto his feet and inched closer, reaching out to the white-haired figure before him. He had to _touch _him. Confirm that he wasn't just an apparition before his eyes. Apologise for his selfishness. Make him stay.

Nezumi's groping hand was inches from Shion's shoulder, when Hamlet began squeaking frantically with excitement at seeing his original master again. The man froze, expecting Shion to whip around. But he just kept walking, and Nezumi saw a satisfied grin on his refined, gentle face. He hadn't noticed.

Nezumi sighed softly and dropped his hand, shuffling backwards into the shadows between two stores. He watched Shion keep walking away joyfully until he disappeared from the blunette's sight.

Now wasn't the time. He wasn't _quite _ready. But the time would come soon.

Shion had his own agenda, and there was no reason to interfere with his path. He had to grow and develop, and learn to live his life his own way. Nezumi wanted him to have that opportunity, because…

He really, truly cared for him.

_So that's all it is… _Nezumi thought with a grin. _It's nothing complex. I simply want the best for him. I want to protect him. _

He stood there, a dark figure blending in with the murky shadows he was so used to, smiling as he vowed to keep the one that was so precious to him safe.

The dark figure sat in the dimly lit room, little screens flickering briefly around it as its hands ghosted over the keyboard of its laptop. The screen now showed live footage of a port; hundreds of people were rushing around and bumping into each other, not even bothering to be polite. The figure snarled, its lips curling up in distaste.

"Flies…" It muttered darkly, wanting nothing more than to squish all the impudent and unworthy beings showing on the screen- or at least, all but one. A small male strolled onto the screen and into the figures vision. The male had short white hair that stood out from the browns and blacks of the surrounding crowd and beautiful ruby eyes. A dark gleam rose in the once hate filled gaze, promising mystery, adventure and most of all trouble for the young man. The laptop screen was shut slowly and a gleam of jewellery flickered into view for the briefest of seconds.

A wicked smile showed on the figures dark face, teeth gleaming slightly in the poor lighting as the room slowly faded to black, the screens shutting down for the last time.

"And so the game begins, Shion…"

* * *

_**CONTINUE THE STORY IN "THE NEW NUMBER"...  
GO TO MY STORIES TO CHECK IT OUT**_

_Kitzabitza: And so it ends! What did you all think? The tension is beginning to build! I hope you will continue with my collab with the lovely Yuki in our next segment of this tale, _"The New Number". _It's been posted, so go and take a look!__  
_

_Yuki: Hellloooo~ Ahhh I feel refreshed after writing that last little bit there (the creepy part was written by me ^^/)_

_Kitzabitza: I wonder who people think it is, Yuki? I bet there'll be some people begging for us to say who it is! But sorry people, you ain't getting ANY information on this person! _

_Yuki: Buuu~ all well, I'll let you in on a little secret *injects Kitzabitza with tranquilizer before she reacts* it's nothing big but I didn't want her going all nuuu yuki! But yeathe secret isss…._

_Our new character is an OC, and you can expect a lot more OCs in _"The New Number". _In any case… We'll see you all then! *Pokes Kitzabitza in the face* tehe_

_Kitzabitza: zzzzzzzzzzz (See you soon!)_


End file.
